WIRELESS FIDELITY (Wi-Fi) BROADBAND NETWORK TECHNOLOGY: AN OVERVIEW WITH OTHER BROADBAND WIRELESS NETWORKS by Chris A. Nwabueze, M. Eng., MNSE, MNIEEE, MIEE. Silas A. Akaneme, M. Eng., MNSE, MNIEEE, MIEEE Dept. of Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Anambra State University, Uli. E-mail:
[email protected]. ABSTRACT Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) broadband network technology has made tremendous impact in the growth of broadband wireless networks. There exists today several Wi-Fi access points that allow employees, partners and customers to access corporate data from almost anywhere and anytime. Wireless broadband networks are expected to grow in terms of broadband speed and coverage, while Wi-Fi can be integrated with WiMAX networks to provide Internet connectivity to mobile Wi-Fi users. This paper explores the Wi-Fi broadband wireless network technology, its uses, advantages and disadvantages, comparison with other broadband wireless networks and integration with WiMAX network. Key Words: Broadband, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi), World Wide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), IEEE 802.11 standards. 1.0 INTRODUCTION 802.11a [12]. Wi-Fi is owned by the Wi-Fi Wi-Fi stands for “Wireless Fidelity” and Alliance which is a consortium of separate was used to describe Wireless LAN and independent companies agreeing to a (WLAN) products that are based on the set common interoperable products based IEEE 802.11 standards. Wi-Fi uses both on the family of IEEE 802.11 standards single carrier direct-sequence spread [11]. spectrum radio technology and multi-carrier Wi-Fi certifies products via a set of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division established test procedures to establish Multiplexing) radio technology.